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While North Americans continue to learn more about “the beautiful game,” there is no denying that soccer has for decades held the mantle of being the most followed sport on the planet, watched by roughly 3.5 billion fans on a regular basis.
For context sake, the 2022 World Cup finals alone, where Lionel Messi’s Argentina triumphed over France, drew an astonishing 1.5 billion television viewers, with over 5 billion people tuning in to watch some part of the tournament (a number that eclipses any other sporting spectacle including the Superbowl by a huge margin).
In this context, London-based blockchain game Soccerverse recently revealed that it had successfully tapped into the world’s love for soccer by bringing real professional players into its virtual football-universe, marking one of the most notable crossovers for the Web3 industry with the sports realm.
A partnership with FIFPRO to help drive authenticity
By securing a licensing deal with FIFPRO, the global representative body for professional footballers, the community-driven football management and trading game will henceforth (w.e.f December 10, 2025) use the real names and images of over 65,000 active professional players.
In practical terms, this means Soccerverse players will be able to sign and trade actual football stars (be it iconic veterans or emerging talents) as part of their in-game clubs, with the license spanning 70+ national player associations covering a broad swath of major footballing nations.
To elaborate, players from countries such as England, France, Italy, Argentina, Portugal, Belgium, Scotland, Norway, Sweden and many more will now be represented virtually, which for Soccerverse-ians is a significant step up in realism and credibility, injecting official authenticity into a genre of blockchain games that until now often relied on fictional or user-generated characters.
Not only that, gamers will henceforth be able to manage their virtual clubs with real-world players, trade their favorite stars from top leagues, and compete in a dynamic economy driven by player transactions, much like the real transfer market. This level of authenticity has practically been unheard of when it comes to Web3 gaming, putting Soccerverse in the same league as traditional sports video titles (such as PES and FIFA) which feature real rosters. On the development, Soccerverse CEO Andrew Gore opined:
“Partnering with FIFPRO is a landmark moment for Soccerverse and a massive win for our community. Trust and authenticity are critical to our vision, and this license is our commitment to building a legitimate football universe. This is a true partnership that also supports FIFPRO’s vital mission, providing a global platform for the entire collective of players and giving our community the chance to discover talent from under-represented footballing nations.”
FIFPRO’s leadership echoed a similar, enthusiastic sentiment, praising its partners who are looking to “innovate and rethink the norm,” especially as digital entertainment evolves, underlining that Soccerverse’s fresh approach aligns with the forward-looking mindset of the players’ organization.
Community-driven football on the blockchain
Soccerverse isn’t an entirely new player on the pitch as it has been steadily building its community and game world (seemingly in anticipation of this moment). The game launched in January 2025 to much fanfare, and is now entering its second season with over 2,000 active managers guiding clubs across multiple virtual leagues.
Uniquely, the title is built atop the Polygon network and is both community-driven and community-owned, meaning that every club in the game is an NFT-like asset and can have multiple fan-owners (called “influence holders”) who share in the decision-making process.
The simulation features 5,350 clubs spanning a tiered league system, all managed by real people in real time. Even matches are played out twice a week, and managers are required to strategize everything from squad selection and tactics to transfers and financing, mirroring the challenges of real-world club management.
Therefore as soccer’s unparalleled global popularity shows no sign of abating anytime soon, innovations like soccerverse which stand at the intersection of live action, player engagement and tech innovation stand to flourish in a big way, especially given that other established game franchises are already engaging over 150 million players globally regularly.
By bringing a community-driven, blockchain-powered simulator with real player likenesses, fans no longer have to watch their heroes on a screen but interact with them while owning a piece of the action. Interesting times ahead!!
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.